I didn’t have to venture far from the Visitor Centre today before I encountered some of Minsmere’s mammals and some great invertebrates too! I set off on my afternoon stroll to see whether I could see any stone-curlews from the North Wall viewpoint and also to see some bearded tits as there had been many reports today that they have been showing really well from North Wall and near to South Hide. My walk was halted at the pond because there was a small gathering on the bridge looking at this stunning great silver diving beetle clinging to a reed.
We were busy staring at this impressive beetle when someone spotted a water vole swimming just below us. By the time I had got my camera up I only managed to catch the back end of it! Distracted by the water vole I wasn’t quick enough to snap a water shrew swimming just behind it.
I then spent a long time searching for these stealthy little creatures, hence the title of my blog! Our guides heard them squeaking amongst the reeds; a very high pitched squeak. We would then hear a plop and see a flash of the water shrew before it was gone again. We then heard them squeaking from the other side of the pond and we rushed over to that side to try and catch a glimpse. After playing chase over the pond bridge for a while I did finally manage to spot a water shrew but I wanted to get a really good look at it as I had never seen one before so I didn’t put my camera up and didn’t manage to get a picture. I was delighted that I managed to see the water shrew, their short fur coat looks so velvety soft and their tummy is a greyish white that shimmered in today's sunshine, but despite this soft appearance I definitely wouldn’t want to get too close to one as I was told by one of our guides that they are actually venomous which allows them to eat large prey such as frogs. I now have the upmost respect for this tiny, stealthy, rapid and venomous creature!
As well as having the treat of seeing these magnificent mammals I also spotted this damselfly and alder fly resting and was party to a bit of a set two between a moorhen and two magpies.
A moorhen was quietly sitting on three eggs with the sun on her back and the commotion of us hunting down the water shrews going on around her, meanwhile her mate was dutifully fending off two magpies. Whenever they would get too close he was getting quite shirty with them and chased them out of the pond flapping at them wildly. When he thought they were at a respectable distance away from the nest he went to relieve his lady friend from her duty of sitting on the eggs whilst she went and had a swim and a feed. All this in only the space of an hour and in a very small part of the reserve!